Higher Plasma LDL-Cholesterol is Associated with Preserved Executive and Fine Motor F
 

Aging Dis. 2016 May 27;7(3):237-45. doi: 10.14336/AD.2015.1030. eCollection 2016.
Higher Plasma LDL-Cholesterol is Associated with Preserved Executive and Fine Motor Functions in Parkinson's Disease.
Sterling NW1, Lichtenstein M1, Lee EY1, Lewis MM2, Evans A1, Eslinger PJ3, Du G1, Gao X4, Chen H5, Kong L6, Huang X7.
Author information
Abstract
Plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol has been associated both with risk of Parkinson's disease (PD) and with age-related changes in cognitive function. This prospective study examined the relationship between baseline plasma LDL-cholesterol and cognitive changes in PD and matched Controls. Fasting plasma LDL-cholesterol levels were obtained at baseline from 64 non-demented PD subjects (62.7 ± 7.9 y) and 64 Controls (61.3 ± 6.8 y). Subjects underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing at baseline, 18-, and 36-months. Linear mixed-effects modeling was used to assess the relationships between baseline LDL-cholesterol levels and longitudinal cognitive changes. At baseline, PD patients had lower scores of fine motor (p<0.0001), executive set shifting (p=0.018), and mental processing speed (p=0.049) compared to Controls. Longitudinally, Controls demonstrated improved fine motor and memory test scores (p=0.044, and p=0.003), whereas PD patients demonstrated significantly accelerated loss in fine motor skill (p=0.002) compared to Controls. Within the PD group, however, higher LDL-cholesterol levels were associated with improved executive set shifting (β=0.003, p<0.001) and fine motor scores (β=0.002, p=0.030) over time. These associations were absent in Controls (p>0.7). The cholesterol - executive set shifting association differed significantly between PDs and Controls (interaction p=0.005), whereas the cholesterol - fine motor association difference did not reach significance (interaction, p=0.104). In summary, higher plasma LDL-cholesterol levels were associated with better executive function and fine motor performance over time in PD, both of which may reflect an effect on nigrostriatal mediation. Confirmation of these results and elucidation of involved mechanisms are warranted, and might lead to feasible therapeutic strategies.

Higher Plasma LDL-Cholesterol is Associated with Preserved Executive and Fine Motor Functions in Parkinson's Disease. - PubMed - NCBI

No kidding?
 

Interesting that the only journal that published this study is a digital journal and it is
"Not currently indexed for MEDLINE."
Makes for very little readership among physicians. or anyone else.

cholesterol, the sun, and Vit. D
 

I've read that PWP are deficient in both cholesterol and vitamin D....well, when the sun hits our skin, it uses the cholesterol in our body to make vitamin D. If we are low in cholesterol, we won't be able to make much vitamin D, and will be low in that, too.

Putting on sun screens may help keep you from burning, but it will also block the sun's rays that that your body needs to make vitamin D. We don't use sun screens for this reason. Instead, we go out in the morning or late afternoon, when the sun's rays are least damaging, and at other times, cover up with clothes (hat, long sleeves, pants, etc.) and limit the time in the sun as much as possible.

And we are eating a lot more eggs and butter these days:)